Pocono mall bandits shop for victims during the holiday season

It's the most wonderful time of the year — for crooks, that is. And square in their sights — your local shopping center.

HOWARD FRANK

It's the most wonderful time of the year — for crooks, that is.

And square in their sights — your local shopping center.

Crime at places like Stroud Mall, The Crossings Premium Outlets in Tannersville and our area Walmart stores is always a problem because of the crowds they attract. But the waves of holiday season shoppers provide a double whammy.

Malls typically generate higher sales and have more crime problems, according to a study on malls and crime published in Security Journal. The variety of crimes at these centers is a broad mixture of offenses against both merchants and shoppers. But some stand out more than others.

Retail theft is by far the largest problem facing these merchants. Those are thefts of merchandise from stores.

"It's because the sanctions are very low," said Capt. Brian Kimmins of the Stroud Area Regional Police. Stroud Mall and Walmart in East Stroudsburg fall under SARP's jurisdiction.

"It's mostly a fine. A second offense makes it a misdemeanor, and it's very common to require numerous offenses before there is incarceration."

Retail theft falls into one of two categories — small-time thefts and organized criminal enterprises.

For an individual thief, it's usually a crime of opportunity in which the goods are sold or traded for drugs. "A lot of time this retail theft is a product of addictions," Kimmins said.

Then there are the pros.

Pocono Township Police Chief Phil Riley, whose jurisdiction includes The Crossings, said he gets organized groups of criminals that come to the mall and steal any merchandise they feel they can get away with.

"These groups tend to spread out in the mall in small groups. And while one person is distracting the store employees, another is filling a bag with merchandise," he said. "These folks carry sensor-device cutting instruments so the alarms at the doors won't go off."

They also use accessories like booster bags that are lined with tin foil, duct tape and other materials that will defeat the alarms as well.

Some thieves can be spotted before their second foot steps into the door.

"The ones with the ace bandages and bulky clothing are the pros," Kimmins said. "The professional thieves are doing it for resale, and they target toiletries and high-end electronics."

Sometimes thieves will place a high-end item near a door, grab it and run out to a waiting car.

Not much is left to chance by these groups.

"There usually are several cars in the parking lot. In case one group gets stopped or arrested, the rest of the group has a way to get out of the mall undetected," Riley said.

These groups come from all over, including New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Allentown, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, according to Riley.

The Crossings, and Stroud Mall have another feature that make them attractive to thieves — they are both located close to Interstate 80 entrances, which makes for a quicker escape.

Shoppers themselves often become victims of criminals who take advantage of them when their attention is focused on shopping.

Petty thieves are preying on people, looking for an opportunity and then they're gone, according to Kimmins.

Riley said the chance of getting a purse or wallet stolen while shopping is higher on days when the mall is busy. "It is easy to lose track of where your things are when the stores are busy and we have a lot on our minds."

Douglas Smith, general manager of The Crossings Premium Outlets said, "We encourage shoppers to be extra cautious during the holidays with their personal belongings and their new purchases. We have a very detailed holiday security plan at the center."

If you lose a personal item in a large crowd, Riley said, the chances of getting it back is not very good.

Crowds at a mall create another hazard — fighting.

Kimmins described malls as a place of socialization, but also a place where disenfranchised youth go.

Wherever people, particularly youths gather, there's the danger of a fight breaking out. Most are spontaneous, sudden flare-ups, but not all. Some fights are planned.

"Just like you have flash mobs, you have flash fights," Kimmins said.

And there are possibilities of "collateral damage" — bystanders can get jostled. "It's not a big deal for young people, but it is for older people," he said.

Mall security and other specialists help prevent or limit some of these crimes. Loss prevention agents — you know, the ones who watch you on monitors in a back room or follow you around the store — have a lot more power than you'd think.

Pennsylvania law allows these employees and agents for the merchants to detain anyone suspected of stealing or attempting to steal merchandise. They can, with probable cause, hold you on or off the premises until they recover the stolen product, secure your true identification or until the police arrive.

The Crossings management, security and store employees are proactive in trying to stop these types of crimes, Riley said. "The stores bring in more staff to assist shoppers and to watch for shoplifters. The store employees look for patrons carrying empty bags from other stores, or suspicious behavior, and try to escort these patrons around their stores so that stealing things is almost impossible."

Smith said he would not discuss any enhanced security measures or procedures at The Crossings, which could compromise its efforts to provide a safe and secure environment.

Counterfeit bills are another problem. So much money is exchanged in such a short amount of time during the holidays, sometimes counterfeit bills slip by.

"Small dollar items being paid for with large bills is usually a red flag, but some of the bad bills still get through," Riley said.

The Crossings has Treasury agents from the Secret Service do a presentation to store managers every year to give the latest information on counterfeiting situations.

Identity theft is another growing problem.

Pocono Township Police routinely get reports from police departments across the country reporting stolen credit cards that have been used at The Crossings.

"Usually the victim doesn't know that their information has been compromised until they receive their credit card bills. By the time the information gets back to us, several days or weeks have gone by, and we have no place to start," he said.

The problems can begin before you even get to the store.

The Crossings can be a real challenge for motorists who often outnumber its parking spaces.

"We get a little bit of everything at The Crossings Mall. Traffic accidents, traffic and parking disputes, damaged vehicles and frustrated drivers trying to find a parking space," Riley said.

Crime has a geographical component. Walmart in East Stroudsburg was a hub of crime last year, according to SARP crime statistics, with more than one crime reported there every day.

In 2011, 459 criminal incidents were chronicled, including 359 counts of theft, 18 for trespassing, 15 for credit card fraud, 13 for disorderly conduct, 12 for harassment, 10 for public drunkenness, nine for criminal mischief to automobiles, seven for narcotics possession and two strong-arm robberies.

In contrast, 56 crimes were recorded at Stroud Mall in 2011.

"We go to Target on Black Friday," Amy Galligan wrote on the Pocono Record's Facebook page in a Black Friday discussion. "It's safer and they seem to be more prepared ... never Walmart for us again, my friends have told me too many horror stories and we saw some first hand ... two old ladies fist fighting and nasty language directed everywhere ... Didn't we just give thanks hours before and now some are fighting over toys and TVs."